This I Believe

I believe that through working hard, utter perseverance and the sheer will to continue what you’re doing for a greater purpose, all things can be achieved. A personal goal could be accomplished, a tremendous obstacle could be overcome, or an opponent could be defeated.

Life isn’t going to give you any breaks, things don’t just come your way on command. Short-cuts don’t exist; neither do wish-granting genies or magical butlers who bring you all of life’s little joys on a silver platter. Absolutely nothing worth achieving can be achieved without a little blood, sweat and tears.

That being said, the unfortunate truth is that the better part of our country doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of hard work. Lack of discipline or hard work would seem to be the culprit behind the mind-boggling number of overweight or obese Americans (127 million overweight and 60 million obese), it would seem to be the reason behind one out of every two marriages ending in divorce, it would also appear to be responsible for the increase of excuses, whining, complaining, laziness, and the subsequent decrease of fortitude, resilience, guts and strength.

The common theme ringing true throughout all of rationales listed is that each one involves a decision or choice. The choice requires the person in said imaginary scenario to consider whether they want to work hard or discipline themselves so that they can enjoy the impending benefits. The alternative, which is more popular amongst present day Americans, involves taking the path of least resistance, or preferring laziness over a bit of hard work.

When a person consciously chooses to take that path, the one of least resistance, or, in other words, does not make their best effort, then the odds are that they aren’t going to get anywhere, or accomplish anything.

Some might say that they have nothing to achieve, and nothing to work for, so hard work isn’t necessary. Just drifting through daily routine is satisfaction in and of itself and if some kind of obstacle were to pop itself up in their way, that it would sort itself out. While this may seem easier and a bit less problematic, it leads to bad habits, habits that don’t involve a solid work ethic.

Working hard for something, whether physically, as in sports, or maybe fortitude in the workplace or in school is something every single person simply has to experience to understand it’s magnitude and importance. As people grow up they learn that nothing comes easy, and most often times this is learned the hard way, through experience. It is my personal belief that if one were to learn the lessons that hard work can teach early in life, then that work ethic will be there in the long run. Everyone is going to need to work hard, you might as well learn early.

Difficulties and problems will always be there, no matter who you are, it takes a firm will and some work to get through them and be a stronger person for it. While I don’t believe many people exhibit these qualities now, I believe that every person should. It’s not so hard, I’m almost certain that a little hard work never killed anyone.

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Top 100 Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

This week’s essay

Following her grandmother’s death, Priya Chandrasekaran wondered what to do with the colorful silk saris she inherited. In deciding to make a quilt from them, Chandrasekaran believes she found a way to both honor her grandmother and create something new. Click here to read her essay.